My go to meal when in a hurry is generally a bowl of some sort with a cooked grain, some combination of vegetables (generally whatever is in the fridge at the time), soy (tempeh or tofu), nuts/seeds and a simple at home dressing. Lately, I just can't get enough of this Rainbow Rice Bowl. I love the combination of warm brown rice with fresh colourful raw vegetables, but what makes this dish truly amazing is the addition of the Creamy Lemon Garlic Hemp Sauce. I could rave about this dressing for days! It's the most recent staple to my weekly repertoire, and adds flavour and richness to so many dishes. Not to mention how incredibly good for you it is- all of the wonderful details about this sauce are in the post found here.

RAINBOW RICE BOWL: a nutritious meal complete with protein, whole grains, fibre and rich in vitamins.

INGREDIENTS: (yields 1. adjust vegetable measurements to your liking)

3 cups water
1 1/2 cup rice, uncooked
1/3 cup tempeh, sliced and cubed
1/2 cup swiss chard, ribboned
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/3 cup tomato, diced
1/3 cup celery, sliced
1/3 cup beet, spiralized or julienned
1/3 cup carrot, spiralized or julienned
1 tbsp olive or sesame oil
cilantro, to top

CREAMY LEMON GARLIC SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup lemon, juice
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup hemp seeds
2 tbsp water
1.5 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 garlic glove, minced

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook rice using stove top method, or using a rice cooker.

2. While rice is cooking, wash and prep vegetables and set aside.

3. Make sauce according to recipe found here. Set aside.

4. Cut tempeh and toss in chosen oil. Heat pan, and lower heat to med-low and pan fry tempeh until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

5. In a bowl add desired rice, approx. 2 tbs of sauce and mix. Then top rice bowl with vegetables and cilantro to season.

I like to serve this in a large deep bowl, mix everything up and enjoy!